ABSTRACT

Chapter 9 marks the beginning of the human-caused disasters section of this book – penned by James Halpern. Halpern reflects on the nature of human-caused disasters in all their forms, and gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the following six chapters on the theme. All six events were intentional and all of the responders, with one exception, lived close or reasonably close to the event. Halpern reflects on the concept of closure, secondary stress, the complexity of responding to these events, and self-care.